U.N. Security Council Adopts of New Sanctions against North Korea

Source: United Nations Security Council
Source: House Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX, 20th)

Washington, D.C. - September 12, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The UN Security Council has adopted new sanctions against North Korea. The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes the adoption of a new Security Council resolution in response to the sixth nuclear test by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Maintaining unity in the Security Council is crucial in tackling security challenges on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

This firm action by the Security Council sends a clear message that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must comply fully with its international obligations. The Secretary-General urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to abide by the decisions of the Council and allow space for the resumption of dialogue, and calls upon all Member States to ensure the full implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.

The Secretary-General has taken note of the Security Council’s desire for a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation, as well as its urging of further work to reduce tensions. He reaffirms his commitment to working with all parties to this end and to strengthening communication channels.

Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement after the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2375 to strengthen sanctions against North Korea:

“The adoption of these strengthened sanctions shows that there are still diplomatic avenues to pursue as the United States works with the global community to address North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons. We must capitalize on this moment of unanimous agreement and leverage these more comprehensive sanctions to pressure North Korea into ceasing its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs. This progress would allow us to forge a path towards negotiations with the Kim regime.”

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Bill Introduced to Expand Orthotic and Prosthetic Care for Veterans: The Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act

Source: Matthew Cartwright (D-PA, 17th)



Washington, D.C. - September 12, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright introduced bipartisan legislation that would improve orthotics and prosthetics care for service members and veterans. The Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act would support colleges and universities seeking to establish degree programs to train specialists in orthotics and prosthetics.

“There is an urgent need for orthotics and prosthetics practitioners to care for our service members who have undergone amputations as a result of combat-related injuries,” said Rep. Cartwright. “We are challenged to support the grueling recovery for far too many veterans, and we have a moral obligation to provide our heroes with the best health care available. This bill makes strides toward this goal by expanding orthotic and prosthetic training opportunities to ensure veterans have access to quality care.”

In the past decade, the skill set to provide this state-of-the-art care has become increasingly complex. Unfortunately, there are only around 7,100 prosthetists and orthotists nationwide, with one in five either past retirement already or eligible to retire in the next five years. Current degree programs are not widespread enough to meet this demand for new practitioners and should these degree-granting programs continue at their current rate, they will only be able to replace around two-thirds of the clinicians who retire in the next 20 years.

The Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act authorizes a competitive grant program to help colleges and universities develop master’s degree programs focusing on orthotics and prosthetics. Each institution receiving one of these grants will require students to rotate through facilities run by the Departments of Veterans Affairs or Defense, or that hold VA contracts. This bill also requires the VA to establish a Center of Excellence in Prosthetic and Orthotic Education to provide evidence-based research on the knowledge, skills, and training that clinical professionals need to care for veterans.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

Bill Introduced to Protect Jobs for Americans and Legal Workers

Source: Ken Calvert (R-CA, 42nd)



Washington, D.C. - September 12, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42), Congressman Lamar Smith (TX-21), and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-6) introduced the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 3711) to preserve jobs for citizens and legal workers by requiring U.S. employers to check the work eligibility of all future hires through the E-Verify system.

“Mandatory E-Verify is long overdue,” said Rep. Calvert. “The program is ready to go mandatory and the Legal Workforce Act will deliver on the promise to ensure that American jobs go to American workers and those authorized to work in the U.S. Chairman Smith and Chairman Goodlatte continue to demonstrate tremendous leadership in advancing the use of E-Verify and protecting American workers.”

In 1996, Rep. Calvert authored the legislative language that created the E-Verify program, the only tool available for employers to voluntarily check the legal work status of newly hired employees. Since then, Rep. Calvert has worked steadily over the years to expand E-Verify and pushed to make it mandatory.

E-Verify is operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), E-Verify checks the social security numbers of newly hired employees against Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records to help ensure that they are genuinely eligible to work in the U.S. The program quickly confirms 99.8% of work-eligible employees and takes less than two minutes to use. Nearly 740,000 American employers currently use E-Verify. A summary of key components of the Legal Workforce Act can be found here here.

With Back-to-School Season Underway, Brownley Introduces BEST Act to Encourage Bilingual Proficiency Among High School Graduates and Improve U.S. Workforce Competitiveness

Source: House Representative Julia Brownly (D-CA, 26th)



Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) reintroduced the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching (BEST) Act. The bill establishes a federal grant program to help states establish a Biliteracy Seal program that encourages and recognizes high school students who achieve proficiency in English and a second language, and that better enables these young people to compete in the global workforce.

“With back-to-school season underway, it is an important time to be focused on setting up America’s young people to succeed,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “We all know how much being proficient in a second language can give you a leg up in today’s globalized, competitive economy. Students in other countries are receiving strong multilingual educations, and America must do more to ensure our young people can compete. Helping states nationwide adopt a Biliteracy Seal program will better prepare our children to succeed in the global workforce and sends a clear signal that our nation is seriously committed to this endeavor.”

California’s State Seal of Biliteracy program was first established in 2011 when legislation sponsored by then-Assemblywoman Brownley was signed into law. Since then, over 146,000 students from California have graduated with this seal. In the 2015-2016 school year, 843 schools across 291 school districts in California participated in the program. The program has also been replicated in 26 states and the District of Columbia, which have each approved and established their own statewide Biliteracy Seal programs.

The BEST Act is cosponsored by Representatives Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), and Rick Nolan (D-MN). It is also supported by the California Association for Bilingual Education, California School Board Association, Californians Together, Early Edge, the National Council for Languages and International Studies, and Unidos Us.

“California has recognized the talents and gifts of over 146,000 graduating seniors who speak English and over 30 other languages by granting them the State Seal of Biliteracy,” said Shelly Spiegel-Coleman, Executive Director of Californians Together. “These students are a valuable resource to our state and nation. The BEST Act will encourage states across this nation to join California and 26 other states in valuing multilingual students who will be our future teachers, doctors, lawyers, and business and community leaders.”

“The success and growth of the Seal of Biliteracy in 27 states and the District of Columbia demonstrates that over half of our nation recognizes how important and enriching it is to be proficient in English and another language,” said Jan Gustafson-Corea, CEO of the California Association for Bilingual Education. “Communicating and performing academically in more than one language opens doorways of opportunity for our students, and offers our nation broader opportunities for global success, national security, and economic growth. Let’s provide this opportunity for all students in all 50 states!”

Democrats Introduce Bold Legislation to Broadly Expand Access to Higher Education

Source: House Representative Anthony Brown (D-MD, 4th)



Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Representative Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Representative Susan Davis (CA-53), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, and Representatives Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Seth Moulton (MA-06), and Anthony Brown (MD-04), introduced the America’s College Promise Act of 2017, which would make two years of community college free and provide an affordable pathway to a four-year college degree for low-income students.

“Students and families are faced with the overwhelming burden of figuring out how to pay for college,” said Rep. Scott. “This bill will help more families gain access to quality, affordable higher education opportunities. For low-income students, this bill creates a clear pathway to a four-year degree. At a time when families feel that it is almost impossible to get a college degree at an affordable price, America’s College Promise (ACP) is a bold investment in our students to ensure they gain the skills they need to compete in a 21st century economy.”

The bill provides a federal match of $3 for every $1 invested by the state to waive community college tuition and fees for eligible students before other financial aid is applied. America’s College Promise would also help to cover a significant portion of tuition and fees— for either the first two years or last two years of college—for low-income students who choose to attend qualifying HBCUs, HSIs, AANAPISIs and other MSIs.

This legislation is a cornerstone proposal included in House Democrats’ Aim Higher initiative, a package of legislative initiatives focused on providing all students with access to a meaningful degree that costs less money and leads to a good paying job.

“Community college can be a springboard to a 4-year degree or an opportunity to develop critical workforce skills,” said Rep. Davis. “We must be expanding education opportunities at every level to allow students to find the education paths that work best for them. The America’s College Promise Act will open up even more opportunities for Americans to thrive in higher education and the workplace.”

“I’m a product of community college – it’s what took me from construction work to Congress. I know firsthand that we need to invest in our community colleges as affordable alternatives. We must encourage students to embark on a pathway that leads to a good-paying job,” said Rep. Norcross, an electrician by trade who attended Camden County College and an IBEW apprenticeship program. “Plus, as a father and grandfather, I know about the sticker shock of trying to put children through college. The cost of higher education is one of the greatest financial challenges facing American families today. It’s dragging down our economy and, more importantly, our children. The America’s College Promise Act gives our children a fair shot in the classroom and our families a fair break from that sticker shock.”

ACP was originally introduced in the 114th Congress with the goal of making community college as universal as high school. This Congress, eligibility has been expanded to allow both new and returning students to participate in America’s College Promise, in response to similar expansions in state-led Promise programs. Additionally eligibility for participation in the Pathways to HBCUs and MSIs portion of the bill has also been expanded to allow institutions to serve low-income students who may have qualified for a federal Pell Grant but were ineligible due to their immigration status.

"Far too many students are taking on the economic burden of attending college without the skills necessary to complete their degree,” said Rep. Moulton. “This bill will help provide our children the opportunity to be successful in the modern economy by eliminating barriers that stand in the way of a good education.”

“Every American should be able to earn the education and skills to compete and get ahead in the 21st century economy,” said Rep. Brown. “Community colleges are pathways to the middle class for millions of young people graduating high school, workers looking to get new skills and veterans transitioning back to civilian life. This game-changing bill will make community college free for responsible students, and create new affordable educational opportunities at diverse four-year colleges for low-income students – because in America, a quality education should be a right for everybody willing to work for it.”

ACP is supported by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

Boyle Introduces Legislation To Abolish Debt Ceiling

Source: House Representative Brendan Boyle (D-PA, 13th)



Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-13) has introduced legislation, H.R. 3693, to abolish the United States debt ceiling. The debt ceiling is a statutory limit on the amount of national debt that may be issued by the U.S. Treasury after it has spent and incurred that debt. It ultimately limits how much money the federal government can borrow to pay its own bills.

“The debt ceiling, and the constant crisis it creates through repeated threats of government shutdown, is unnecessary and problematic to say the least. It’s no wonder that only a handful of countries around the world currently follow this disruptive, arbitrary and restrictive fiscal practice,” said Congressman Boyle.

“When you receive your credit card statement at the end of the month, you can’t decide ‘I’ll pay this, but won’t pay that.’ Our current process of ‘governing by deadline’ and playing chicken with the debt ceiling is essentially doing just that – and risking the full faith and credit of the United States,” continued Boyle. “This is reckless and irresponsible.”

Congressman Boyle’s bill would repeal the statutory debt limit that sets a legal limit to how much the Treasury can borrow.

Secretary of the Treasury Mnuchin has repeatedly emphasized to Congress that it’s critical to raise the debt ceiling by September 29. He has employed “extraordinary measures” since March to conserve money to pay our bills. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the government may miss certain payments in October if the Treasury Department is no longer able to pay the government’s bills. This would threaten payments on programs like Social Security and Medicare. An agreement struck between President Trump and Congressional Democrats just before midnight last night would end the threat of a government shutdown and a default on the national debt at the end of September, but only for three months. Congress will face a Dec. 8 deadline to strike another deal to avert those fiscal cliffs.

SENATORS YOUNG AND MERKLEY CALL FOR GAO REVIEW OF UN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

Source: Senator Todd Young (R - IN)



Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee that oversees the United Nations, sent a letter to the Comptroller General asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations.

Young and Merkley issued the following joint statement today: “Reform of UN peacekeeping is needed, and this GAO review will provide Congress and the administration valuable information to ensure UN peacekeeping operations are as efficient and effective as possible—focusing on the protection of civilians.”

The request continues Young and Merkley’s active and bipartisan leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy.

Ambassador Haley has made UN peacekeeping reform a major priority, raising the issue again at the UN Security Council on August 29.

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Mr. Dodaro:

On April 6, 2017, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Nikki Haley delivered remarks concerning UN peacekeeping operations at a meeting of the UN Security Council. Ambassador Haley highlighted five principles that she believes should guide and inform the assessment and reform of UN peacekeeping missions. Ambassador Haley’s five principles for effective UN peacekeeping included: 1) missions supporting political solutions; 2) host country cooperation; 3) realistic and achievable peacekeeping mandates; 4) exit strategies; and 5) willingness to adjust mandates when situations either improve or fail to improve.

On August 29, 2017, Ambassador Haley reiterated the need for reform of UN peacekeeping saying, “At the heart of this vision for reform are the civilians we are meant to serve.” She continued, “In peacekeeping, the UN must strive to ensure the ability of people to live in peace and security without a UN presence.”

As the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee responsible for oversight of the UN, we request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examine, and provide answers to, the following questions regarding all ongoing UN peacekeeping operations:

1) To what degree do the mandate and associated peacekeeping operations support a realistic and achievable political solution and exit strategy? Is the peacekeeping force appropriately tasked, adequately resourced, and deployed in sufficient numbers to best protect civilians against current threats?

2) To what degree does the mission enjoy host-country cooperation? How are the Security Council and UN regional members using multilateral and bilateral pressure to support the peace process and prevent obstruction to peacekeepers carrying out their mandate?

3) When was the mandate last updated, and what differences exist between the mandate and the current situation on the ground?

We would welcome an interim update by December 1, 2017, but request that GAO provide its findings in a written final report no later than March 1, 2018. To the extent possible, we ask that this report be unclassified, but understand that classified reporting may be needed. Thank you for your timely attention to this request. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our staffs.

Warner Statement on Equifax Data Breach Affecting 143 million U.S. Consumers

Source: Senator Mark R.Warner (D - VA)

Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a former technology executive, Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, member of the Senate Banking Committee, and cofounder of the bipartisan Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, released the following statement on the announcement from credit reporting firm Equifax that a data breach could have potentially affected 143 million consumers in the United States:

“The recent news that one of the largest credit reporting agencies and data brokers in the U.S. suffered a breach involving over 143 million Americans is profoundly troubling. While many have perhaps become accustomed to hearing of a new data breach every few weeks, the scope of this breach – involving Social Security Numbers, birth dates, addresses, and credit card numbers of nearly half the U.S. population – raises serious questions about whether Congress should not only create a uniform data breach notification standard, but also whether Congress needs to rethink data protection policies, so that enterprises such as Equifax have fewer incentives to collect large, centralized sets of highly sensitive data like SSNs and credit card information on millions of Americans. It is no exaggeration to suggest that a breach such as this – exposing highly sensitive personal and financial information central for identity management and access to credit– represents a real threat to the economic security of Americans.”

Sen. Warner has been a leader in calling for better consumer protections from data theft. In the aftermath of the Target breach that exposed the debit and credit card information of 40 million customers, Sen. Warner in 2014 chaired the first congressional hearing on protecting consumer data from the threat posed by hackers targeting retailers’ online systems. Sen. Warner also partnered with the National Retail Federation to establish an information sharing platform that allows the industry to better protect consumer financial information from data breaches.

Sen. Warner has been working to develop bipartisan legislation to create a comprehensive, nationwide and uniform data breach standard requiring timely consumer notification for breaches of financial data and other sensitive information.

Trump Administration Reviews Department of Education Guidelines on Campus Sexual Assault

Source: Senator Mark R.Warner (D - VA)

Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The Trump Administrations has announced that it is reviewing DOE's guidelines on campus sexual assault.

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the below statement on the Trump Administration's review of Department of Education guidelines on campus sexual assault:

"The Trump Administration’s review of 2011 guidance about sexual assault enforcement responsibilities on college campuses and at K-12 schools under Title IX should be a red flag for those of us who care deeply about student safety. We should be vigilant in monitoring this process and look for opportunities to engage constructively when possible. Any reconsideration of the current guidance should prioritize the needs of survivors and facilitate improvements in how schools investigate, adjudicate and work to prevent sexual assaults. I hope Secretary DeVos recognizes the gravity of her responsibility: young people across the country are counting on her to get this right."

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Van Hollen and Toomey Call for Swift Passage of BRINK Act

Source: Senator Patrick J.Toomey (R - PA)

Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The Senate Banking Committee held a hearing this week on North Korea, where U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) discussed the urgent need to pass the bipartisan BRINK Act. At the hearing, experts agreed that secondary financial sanctions and fines, such as mandated by the BRINK Act, are necessary to exert maximum pressure on Kim Jong Un and his enablers and would impose penalties against financial institutions that support the North Korean regime. The hearing occurred on the heels of a test of a possible hydrogen bomb by North Korea-underscoring the need to act.

"There is bipartisan agreement-echoed by expert testimony-that the rapidly escalating situation in North Korea demands quick action from Congress," said Senator Van Hollen. "We must expand and enforce sanctions against Kim Jong Un's regime-and the BRINK Act would to do just that. This bill will put sharp enforcement teeth behind United Nations sanctions and send a clear message to anyone who has any business dealings with North Korean entities-you can do business with them or you can do business with the United States, but you can't do business with both."

"North Korea's nuclear weapons program poses a grave threat to the U.S. and our allies. Yet, we have not imposed the toughest possible sanctions against North Korea," said Senator Toomey. "In addition, there is ample evidence that North Korea is extensively evading existing sanctions. That is why Senator Van Hollen and I have introduced the BRINK Act, legislation that would expand and enforce tough sanctions against financial institutions and firms that are providing illicit support to Kim Jong Un's regime."

You can watch Senator Van Hollen's remarks and Senator Toomey's remarks from the Banking hearing.

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